Japan steps closer to allowing Emperor Akihito to abdicate

Japan’s lower house of parliament on Friday approved a bill that would allow Emperor Akihito to step down, the first such abdication in nearly two centuries, Reuters reports.

Akihito, 83, who has had heart surgery and treatment for prostate cancer, said in rare public remarks last year he feared age might make it hard for him to fulfill his duties, the news agency said.

Akihito, the first Japanese emperor who was never considered divine, has worked for decades to soothe the wounds at home and abroad of World War Two, fought in his father Hirohito’s name. He will be succeeded by Crown Prince Naruhito, 57.

The law passed the more powerful lower house with just a handful of dissenting votes and now goes to the upper house, with the intention of getting it passed before the current session of parliament ends in several weeks.

“I hope that the lower house today, and the upper house in days to come, will take this up in such a fashion that we can expect it to pass speedily,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference prior to the vote.

While no definite plan for an abdication has been confirmed, media have said it will probably take place in late 2018, which would mark nearly 30 full years on the throne for the emperor.

The last time an emperor stepped down was in 1817. The bill is one-off legislation that would allow only Akihito to step down, with no provisions for future emperors.

In a move to deal with a shortage of male heirs and the shrinking number of imperial family members, the bill also included a resolution calling for debate on allowing women to stay in the Imperial family even after their marriage. Current law mandates that they leave.

Both allowing them to stay and the controversial issue of changing the system to allow female inheritance have been suggested as a way of dealing with the shrinking pool of royals.

The issue was highlighted last month with the announcement that the Emperor’s oldest granddaughter will marry a commoner.

Minority Muslims in the southern Philippines cast votes on Monday in a long-awaited referendum on autonomy, the culmination of a peace process to end decades of separatist conflict in a region plagued by poverty,...

Recent macro data from the leading economies point to a widespread slowdown. What is more concerning is not just a logical moderation in the path of growth, but acceleration in the weakening of economies...

Ever since he took office two years ago, US President Donald Trump has been vigorously promoting the “America First” policy theme. A key element in that political agenda is tightening the relatively loose immigration...

Tax systems that put a high burden on the poor mean public services are underfunded, stretching the gap between rich and poor and fueling global public anger, Winnie Byanyima, executive director of Oxfam International,...

Taiwan will step up its investigation of pro-Beijing newspapers accused by politicians on the self-ruled island of spreading fake news and surveillance activities that infringe national security, Reuters reports, citing a security official. Claimed...

The US Navy has not ruled out sending an aircraft carrier through the Taiwan Strait, despite military technology advances by China that pose a greater threat to US warships than ever before, Reuters reports,...

Mohsin Khan is still at his job repairing aircraft hydraulics parts although the Singaporean turns 75 in a couple of months. His technical skills are prized by his employer, and as his eyesight deteriorated...

US President Donald Trump has canceled his delegation’s trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, next week due to the partial US government shutdown, Reuters reports, citing a statement released by Press...